Building a Mystery
by Avant Garden
Summary: When Bulma gets stuck caring for the Sayajin prince after he crashes on earth and has lost his memory. Please check it out!
1. So much for a peaceful day

*~ I don't own any of this! I claim no rights to DBZ or any of its characters! This story is dedicated to DJ. Love you bébé! ~*

   "No! Get down, down NOW!"

   Bulma pushed at the monster of a dog that had invited himself up onto her bed. With one last had shove the large white Bulldog lost his balance and hit the floor with a thump. He didn't seem phased; he merely shook his enormous body (causing white hairs to fly everywhere) and trotted happily downstairs.

   Bulma rubbed the sleep out of her eyes and scratched her head. "What time is it?" She asked. A female computer voice responded to her question "Good Morning Miss Briefs! It is exactly 9:24 AM, Saturday, May13th. It is a pleasant sunny day of 84 degrees Fahrenheit."  

   Bulma sighed and heaved her body out of the bed, she dug through her closet pulling out a red flowered bikini and an old pair of ripped up jeans to go over it. "Wow, I slept late. Is there anything on the agenda for today?" Bulma asked as she began to get dressed. 

   Again the computer responded, "Your schedule is free for now Miss Briefs, though you have a lunch date with your father at 1:00 PM." 

   Bulma smiled. She and her father had been very busy working lately. It would be nice to spend some time just hanging out with him. But for now, she could enjoy a few moments for herself relaxing and getting a few things done around the CC compound.

   Bulma bounded down the stairs of her house and into the kitchen. "Caesar! Come here boy!" When he heard the sound of food in his bowl the bulldog came running to his kitchen and devoured his breakfast. Bulma grabbed a banana from the fruit bowl on the counter and went to sit outside on the lanai with her dog in tow. A paperback novel was sitting on the glass table beside an empty wine glass from the night before. 

   It was a beautiful day, the sky was clear and the bay was as smooth as glass. (The Capsule Corp. Compound was set right beside the ocean bay several miles outside of Satan City.) 

   Bulma sank down into a chair and picked up the book, there were only a few chapters left and she was determined to finish them before she did anything else. Caesar lay down at her feet for his after breakfast nap. 

"Bulma!" 

   She jerked her head up when she heard Goku's voice call her again "Bulma!" Caesar ran barking excitedly to see who it was. "It's too early for this crap." Bulma mumbled to herself as she ran after the dog. She was just in time to see Goku burst through her front door carrying a body thrown over his shoulders. He laid the person down on her sofa. Bulma wrinkled her brow and put her hands on her hips. "Goku what in the hell…"  Bulma gasped when she saw the unconscious face of the murderous sayajin Prince himself. "Vegeta!"

~*All right, first chapter! Yay me! Bulma's dog is inspired by my own dear canine; I just thought she needed to have a pet. Let me know what you think please. Any input is greatly appreciated.*~


	2. Nurse Bulma

   "Wha? What…?" Bulma stammered, her hands motioning to the man in her living room 

"He's hurt." Goku said simply. 

   Bulma stared down at the body of the Prince. He was covered in gashes and burns and his hair was matted with blood. Bulma put her hands to her head and tried to keep her voice calm. 

   "I can see that Goku, I just want to know why that bastard is still alive and bleeding all over my furniture! You do know who this is?!" 

   Goku noticed Bulma's ki increasing as her temper rose. He knew he had to keep her calm. "Yes, I know who he is. His ship crashed in the forest beside our house, I couldn't just let him lay there." 

   Bulma's vision was starting to go red. This was Vegeta! The murderous sayajin prince. The man had the blood of thousands on his hands. He would just as soon blow them both to oblivion as look at them, and Goku wanted to save him!? 

   She was about to tell him to get rid of him but when she looked into Goku's pleading eyes her heart softened. She took a deep breath 

"What does Chi-Chi think about all of this?" 

   A slight grin crept across his face as he gave a nervous chuckle.  "Well… she doesn't really know. You see, she wasn't around when it happened."  

   Bulma didn't reply. Instead, she chewed on her bottom lip as she stood staring at the injured sayajin before her. He probably wouldn't have lived if Goku hadn't found him. 

  "Bulma?" Goku asked softly bringing her out of her thoughts. "Can you help him?" 

   Glancing at her watch, it was now 10:00. "Come on Goku; help me get him to my lab." 

Grinning broadly, Goku gave her a quick hug. "Thanks Bulma, I knew you would understand." And before she could say anything, he was flying towards of the labs with Vegeta in his arms.

    Bulma placed her palm over a scanner at the entrance to CC Lab No.14. When the doors opened she stepped into the large, sterile white room. "Lay him over there." 

   Goku laid the prince on the table Bulma pointed to, and watched as she moved amongst all the machines; flipping switches and typing in codes. In the center of the main room was a healing chamber. It was a tall cylindrical machine; filled with a clear purple substance. Goku had been in it a time or two before when he had been injured. 

"I'll put him in there for a week. That should be more than enough." 

   Bulma picked up a pair of scissors and began to cut the few remaining scraps of clothing off of Vegeta's body leaving nothing but a pair of training shorts.  As Bulma looked down at his helpless form, she imagined how easy it would be to rid the world of Prince Vegeta. She could slice his throat and he would be too weak to even defend himself.

 "Should we get him into the chamber now?" 

Bulma nodded. Goku had come to her asking for her help, she would do her best to help him, even if she did want to kill the bastard.

   When they had gotten him safely inside the chamber, Bulma sealed off the main room so that it wouldn't be disturbed by anyone but her. She secured the lab and stepped back out into the daylight with Goku.

    "I really appreciate you doing this for me. I know you don't like him and all, but I just couldn't let him die out there, I feel responsible you know?"  He put his arm around her. "Yeah, Goku. I know." "He gave her a quick kiss on the cheek and turned to leave. "I'll be gone for a few weeks Bulma, take care of him for me ok?" Bulma nodded and waved as he started to rise into the air. "And one more thing, please don't mention this to anyone else right now, and don't let Chi-Chi know about this. She would freak!" With that, Goku took to the air and was gone.

   Bulma watched Goku as he flew out of sight "Yeah, I'll bet Chi-Chi would freak! He's damn lucky Bulma didn't!" 

She talked to herself as she started back to her house. The minute she walked in the door the smell of blood and sweat hit her right in the nose.

 " Uhhgg! And now I have to clean this up!" 

   Two hours later, a gallon of bleach and countless scented candles later, her house was beginning to look and smell livable again, she would have to buy a new couch though, the old one was filthy and unsalvageable. She had it thrown out. 

   Bulma lay down in the middle of the floor with Caesar; she was now too dirty to get on the furniture. She laughed at this thought. "Caesar, you're probably cleaner than I am right now!" the dog acknowledged her with a big wet pink tongue across her face. 

   "Well dog breath," She said, standing up. "I'm going to go take a shower I've got to meet dad for lunch in a half hour. I can't wait to tell hi about the newest Sayajin addition to Capsule Corporation!" Bulma blew out the candles and made her way to the bathroom.

   After a very long hot shower, Bulma felt human again. She kept the makeup to a minimum and didn't bother to do anything with her hair. She had let it grow out and it now fell in a beautiful blue cascade to the middle of her back. She put on a simple blue slip dress and cute little brown leather sandals. 

"I think I'll take the jeep." She grabbed the keys from a box in the window sill and dashed out. "See you later Caesar!" 

    She was soon speeding towards Satan City, with the Red hoot Chili Peppers blaring over the speakers. She was headed for Circles; it was her Fathers favorite restaurant. It sat looking right out over the bay. She pulled the jeep into the parking lot and walked in to find Mr. Briefs sitting at his usual spot by the window.  He was busy watching the fishing boats coming in and didn't notice that his daughter had just arrived

  "Hey Daddy-o!" 

  She leaned in to give him a kiss before taking her seat. 

"How's my girl today?" 

"A little tired dad, it's been a very eventful morning." 

Mr. Briefs set his elbows on the table and rested his head in his hands. "Oh really, what's up?" 

   Bulma put the menu down and began to relate her morning to her father. He sat listening to her in complete silence. "…and that has been my day so far." 

At that moment, the waiter appeared and set two plates of seared tuna before them. 

   "I ordered for you, I hope that's ok." 

Bulma nodded "Yes fine. But what do you think?" 

   Mr. Briefs placed his napkin in his lap. "Well my dear, you just do what you think is best. You are a knowledgeable woman, and I support any decision you make. I do think it was very valiant of you to take him in like that. Everyone deserves a chance." 

Bulma gazed at him speechless. He started to eat his meal as if he hadn't heard a word she said. Did he not understand Vegeta was an evil, bloodthirsty Sayajin Prince?

   Bulma had been hoping that he would tell her what she wanted to hear, that he was a murderer and didn't deserve to live, but her father was a kind soul just as Goku. So now she was stuck playing nurse to one of the most feared men in the universe! And just what would she do with him when he woke up?

Mr. Briefs looked up from his plate. "Bulma dear, you should eat. Your food is getting cold."

~* I hope this isn't moving too slowly. Let me know people! *~ 


	3. Rude Awakening

   The first few rays of light slowly made their way over the floor to the sofa where Bulma lay sleeping. Eventually, the sun filtered through the glass of the French doors in full force illuminating Bulma's living room.

    Various files and paperwork lay scattered about on the floor. Bulma's hand moved to shade her eyes from the bright morning light. She yawned and stretched her body that was cramped from sleeping in such an odd position the night before. As Bulma began to stir, motion sensors in the house detected her movement and alerted the computer.

   "Good Morning Miss Briefs! I trust you slept well?"

Bulma snorted at the computers assumption and made her way towards the shower.

"Miss Briefs, in a few hours it will have been one week since you put the Sayajin in the healing tank in CC Lab No.14."

"Yes, thank you. I remember. I'll see to that shortly."

   Bulma tried not to think of the Sayajin, despite her hatred towards him She had spent the previous night reading a few files and books that she had on Sayajins. She wanted to be prepared for whatever could happen when she removed Vegeta from the healing tank.  

But for now she was going to get dressed and eat breakfast.

   "Can't go reviving bloodthirsty Sayajin royalty on an empty stomach, now can I?" Bulma laughed as she climbed the stairs to her room.

   "No! No, no, no! Get off of my bed now!" Bulma shouted standing in the doorway of her room. Caesar climbed down from her bed lazily and stood looking at her as she started to rummage through her closet. 

   "I fall asleep on the couch and wake up with a stiff neck and shoulders while you probably spent the night in perfect comfort, sprawled out in the middle of my silk sheets!" 

   After Bulma took the sheets from her bed and put them in the laundry room to be washed she dressed herself in a pair of white linen pants with a lime green t-shirt that had Capsule Corp. printed across the front in yellow letters. Caesar seemed to approve and jumped up to put his front paws on her chest. Bulma laughed and scratched his floppy ears.

   "You must be hungry, huh boy? Come on, I'll give you your food."

   The kitchen tile was warm to her bare feet as she poured dog food into an engraved bowl beside the dish washer. While Caesar ate, Bulma put a pot of tea on to boil and read the morning paper as she waited for it to steep. 

    Bulma was just checking the sports section for the scores from last nights Satan City Demons game in when there was a loud crash outside near the labs. Bulma jumped up, knocking her tea to the floor, and ran outside, with Caesar at her heels.

   Out of breath and her heart pounding, Bulma stood scanning the compound; nothing seemed to be out of place! 

   With everything seemingly normal, Bulma turned to go back in when she noticed black smoke rising from a hole in the roof of Lab No.14.

"Oh No!"

Bulma raced to the building and entered her access code. 

   Shards of glass littered the floor, the machinery had been crushed by the force of the explosion, and melted plastic formed puddles on he floor. Luckily, all of the structures on the CC compound were super reinforced to withstand such abuse; therefore the explosion was contained within the lab.

   Bulma kept her eyes on the ground as she stepped carefully through the ruins trying to avoid injuring her bare feet. She cursed herself for not putting on any shoes; her mother always complained that she never remembered to wear them. 

 As she walked through the lab, assessing the damage she came to the healing chamber; or, what was left of it. 

  It had been reduced to a pile of twisted metal and shattered glass, but no Vegeta. 

   Bulma was about to call for help when she heard the sound of heavy breathing behind her. She turned slowly and gasped at the sight before her.

   No more than six feet away stood the scarred, half naked body of the Sayajin Prince, Vegeta. 

   Bulma was too terrified to move, her legs became cemented to that spot. She tried to scream but only a small whimper escaped her. She couldn't seem to find her breath and her body quivered as she looked into his dark eyes. Vegeta limply raised his right arm, pointing his index finger at her chest. 

"This is it." Bulma thought

There was no point in running, she couldn't escape.  Any second now he would send a powerful beam of energy through her heart, killing her instantly. She turned her head, awaiting her fate.

   It seemed like an eternity, but as the seconds passed, Bulma was shocked to find that she was still alive. She gathered all of her courage and looked back up just in time to the Princes' eyes roll back into his head and with a ragged breath, his legs give way beneath him as he collapsed to the floor.

~* Thank you everyone for the reviews! I wasn't expecting them all so soon! You guys just made my day;) The story takes place after the Sayajin Saga but before the Namek saga. I should also tell you that I am leaving Yamcha completely out of the story. He does not exist here. Hope you enjoy this chapter! *~


	4. A Sleeping Sayajin

   "I should be dead right now." Bulma thought to herself.

The numb feeling in her body was starting to subside when a wave of nausea came over her. Suddenly, Bulma turned and heaved up the contents of her stomach.

 "Uggghhhh."

Bulma moaned as she straightened up. Her head was still reeling.

_*What the hell was I thinking? Taking him in! Even if Goku did ask me to, the whole idea is ludicrous! I could have been killed! And I still might be if he wakes up. What do I do?!*_

Composing herself, Bulma stared at her would be murderer. His face was blank, as it had been when he was awake for those few moments.

Almost unconsciously, she picked up a jagged piece of glass that lay at her feet, being careful not to cut herself. She was surprised to find herself moving towards him, she knew what she had to do.

_* I'll slit the bastard's throat!  Kill him! I have to, there's no other option; if he wakes up he could destroy us all!*_

  Bulma now stood directly over Vegeta watching his chest rise and fall with his labored breathing.

*_What are you waiting for, now just do it now!*_

   She knew what he could do. She had seen what he was capable of. The man had never shown mercy to another being in his life! He was purely evil, so why did she hesitate?

*_Come on Bulma, you can do this. You have to, NOW!*_

   She knelt down beside him and put the glass to his throat.

_*Ok, now. Count of three. One, Two...*_

Vegeta's eyes popped open and focused immediately on Bulma. She stared back into his eyes watching as he struggled to speak two words in his deep raspy voice before he lost consciousness again.

"Help me." 

   Moments later, with the help of robots, Bulma was sitting in a chair by the bed in the guestroom of her own house watching Vegeta sleep.

   She had brought him back to her home where she could keep a closer watch. 

   She wasn't sure why she hadn't finished him off back at the lab. But she knew that she just couldn't do it, not after she saw the pleading look in his eyes. She was no killer; it simply wasn't in her nature. 

   But just because she let him live didn't mean that she wasn't going to take certain precautions.

   Heavy sedatives were injected into Vegeta's bloodstream. He would come around in a few hours, but wouldn't have the strength to move around much with the drugs in his system. Bulma had also hooked him up to a machine that would monitor his vital signs. 

   From what Bulma could tell in the few hours that she spent examining him, his body had healed nicely, but there were still numerous scars etched into his olive skin. It would still be a while before he was back to normal. Which suited her just fine. Bulma did not want to deal with as powerful a Sayajin as Vegeta when he was at his prime.

   Bulma just wished she didn't have to do it all alone. She didn't want to tell anyone about Vegeta just yet; besides, Goku had asked that she keep it quite. The only other person that knew about Vegeta was her father and he had left for a business trip three days ago. She was rather glad that he wasn't there at the moment. Dr. Briefs could sometimes be as scatterbrained as his wife.

"I suppose I could talk to mother." Bulma said to herself

_Yeah right, I could just imagine what she would do. _ "Tee hee! Come on Veggie, have some of my special chicken soup! I always make it for my little Bulma when she is feeling under the weather! A little of this will have you good as new in no time! Careful now, don't spill!"

   Bulma laughed at the thought. She definantly did not need her mother interfering. 

  The click-clack of toenails on the hard floor announced the entrance of Caesar. He trotted over to the chair where Bulma sat and tried to crawl into her lap. 

"I don't think so Caesar; you're not a puppy anymore."

   She pushed him down and, being an agreeable animal, he was quite content to just lay his head in her lap and have his ears rubbed.

   "So what do you think buddy? It's been an exciting day, huh? One of our labs was almost destroyed, I think I was almost  killed and now, I'm sitting here caring for the man who would have murdered me." Bulma glance at the clock, which now read 3:05. "And all of this before supper! Not bad huh?" Bulma and Caesar's conversation was interrupted by her computer.

   "Miss Briefs, you have a holographic communication request from your Father."

   "Ok thanks, I'll take it in here."

   A small holographic image of Mr. Briefs appeared before Bulma.

   "Hey, Daddy-o! How're things going?"

The image smiled and waved at her.

   "Good, good. I've been sitting in conference for two hours being bored out of my skull."

Bulma giggled.

"I'm sorry Daddy, maybe it will be over soon. Have you called Mother?"

"I tried earlier but she wasn't home, she's probably out shopping again. I'll try again this evening. How are things going with hour Sayajin visitor?"

Bulma bit her lip and tried to think of a lie, she didn't want to upset her father with what happened earlier.

"Pretty good. I removed him from the tank earlier this morning and I'm expecting him to wake up any minute now."

_It's not a complete lie. There is some truth to it…_

"Great darling, I'm happy to hear that! I've got to run now; I'll see you in a few days if all goes well."

"Ok, bye dad."

Bulma leaned over to kiss the cheek of the hologram as it disappeared.

   She hated to lie to her father, but what was she going to tell him? Bulma pushed the thought out of her head and walked into the kitchen. She took an aspirin from a bottle beside the sink and swallowed it with a glass of tap water. There wasn't much to do now. She couldn't leave him there alone in her house so she would just have to wait.

   Still, she couldn't stop wondering what had come over the ruthless Sayajin Prince. He asked for her help! From what she knew about Vegeta, he would rather die than lower himself to asking for help. 

   And why would he try to kill her then want her assistance? Maybe he wasn't trying to kill her?

   These questions continued to plague Bulma; she needed to do something to take her mind off of him. 

   "I know!"

   Bulma began to take pots and pans out of her cabinets.  Cooking had always been relaxing for her, and she needed that right now.

 "How about some chicken parmesan? Sound good to you Caesar?"

   Bulma took some chicken from the freezer and set it in the sink to thaw. The wine rack in the corner caught her attention. She decided she could use a glass of merlot to ease her nerves, and opened one of the bottles. She didn't wait for it to chill but instead just dropped a few pieces of ice in it.

   After a quick glance at Vegeta's vital stats, Bulma walked out onto the Lanai to try and finish that same paperback from a week ago. For some reason, it seemed that she wasn't meant to finish that book, because just a few paragraphs into it, her doorbell rang.

   Bulma sighed as Caesar went running to the door barking. 

   "Go get em' Lassie!" She called after Caesar

   "Oh great, you're not working!" Chi-Chi exclaimed as she burst through the door. "I was hoping to spend a little time with you. With Goku gone, I've been a little lonely! I don't know what I did before he came along!"

Bulma didn't even hear Chi-Chi as her mind raced. 

   "Cheech, I was just chilling on the Lanai, why don't you go on out there? I'll be out in a sec, just let me check on something."

   Chi-Chi shrugged and walked outside as Bulma rushed toVegeta's room. She secured the door and prayed that Vegeta wouldn't wake until she could get rid of Chi-chi. As she walked back out to the lanai she could feel a thin layer of sweat break out on her forehead. Bulma prayed that Chi-Chi wouldn't notice.

 "So, what's up?" Bulma asked as she took a seat across from Chi-Chi.

"Oh nothing much… Bulma, are you ok, you look a little flushed?"

"Uh, I haven't been feeling very well today. I think I might be coming down with something." _Great more lies._

"Oh, have you taken anything?" 

"I'm sure I'll be fine. It's probably that 48 hour virus that's been going around. I'll just have to get some sleep." _I'm going to look like Pinocchio by the end of the day. _

Chi-Chi rose from her seat. "Can I get you anything Bulma?"

"No, that's ok. You just relax."

"Well if you don't need anything, I'll be going. You need some rest."

Chi-Chi started to leave. "I'll see you later Bulma, I hope you feel better, bye!"

   As Chi-Chi pulled out of her yard Bulma checked her nose in the mirror. "So far, so good."

 Bulma decided to give up on the book for the day and walked back to the kitchen. She would put the chicken on to bake and go take a bath for the second time that day. A very long, hopefully peaceful, bath.

~* Another triumph for me! I discovered hot to make my documents HTML! *Does the happy dance* 

   A long chapter this time, but Vegeta is still out cold. I promise he will be fully conscious at some point in the next chapter. I've gotten a lot of positive reviews that I am very thankful for, I just hope the story isn't dragging too much for everyone. 

   I plan on this being a long fic and I will probably be updating daily for a while. I've just got so many ideas right now. I think the next chapter will have a little twist. I just hope you don't see it coming. *~


	5. Dinner Guest

   For a half hour, Bulma stood in the shower letting the hot water run down her back, relaxing the tension knots that she had built up in her shoulders. She poured her eucalyptus body wash on a sponge and proceeded to massage the lather into her skin. 

   When she finally stepped out, the bathroom was filled with the scent of eucalyptus and the mirrors were fogged with moisture. Taking a fluffy white towel, Bulma wiped them off so that she could see her reflection, then dried herself. She rubbed lotion over her body then twisted her hair up in a towel. 

   A pair of white, cotton pajamas were laying on Bulma's bed waiting for her. Bulma slipped them on and started downstairs to the kitchen to check on the chicken she had baking. 

   She was starting to feel much better. The day had been so hectic it was nice to be calm again and able to think clearly. As she walked past Vegeta's room she decided that it would be a good idea to check on him.

   Bulma bent over to examine the monitors and turned her back to scribble a few notes on a pad she had set on the bedside table.

   Vegeta opened his eyes. His vision was blurry and he had to blink a few times to focus. His mind also seemed to be hazed, where was he?

   Ebony eyes franticly searched the room. He was desperately trying to find something that would give him some sort of clue as to where he was, and how he got there. He stopped when he saw a woman standing just to the left of the bed he was laying in. She had her back turned and seemed to be very involved in something. When she turned a little to the side to look at a machine that he seemed to be hooked to; this gave him a glimpse of her face.

   She had very fine features, a small slender nose, perfect cheekbones and sparkling blue-green eyes. She was beautiful, but… who was she? And for that matter, who was he?

   Bulma put the notepad back down on the table. She turned around to walk out of the room and gasped when she found a set of eyes staring at her from the bed.

   She backed away from his bedside slowly, as if she were retreating from a wild animal. She was disgusted with herself when she realized that she was trembling. She didn't want to show her fear.__

_*Stay calm, Bulma. He's still sedated, he can't do anything. I hope…*_

Bulma cleared her throat nervously. "You're awake."

Vegeta took his time before he spoke. His mind was still moving slowly but he stayed focused on her as he spoke. "Where am I?"

His voice was deep and sounded threatening, even though he was just asking a question.

"Your ship crashed here on earth a week ago, Goku brought you here to me. I'm a scientist, my name is Bulma Briefs; This is my home, I've been taking care of you here at the Capsule Corporation."

Bulma was becoming uncomfortable. He didn't reply, just continued to stare at her. She took a few steps toward him.

"Can I get you anything Vegeta?"

"What did you say?!"

Bulma repeated her question again slowly. "I said, 'can I get you anything?' "

"No, what did you call me?"

Again she spoke very slowly. "Vegeta?"

"That is my name?"

_*Oh my gods! He doesn't know who he is! I wasn't expecting something like this.*_

"Yes, your name is Vegeta. You didn't know that?"

He shook his head.

"You don't remember anything?"

"I remember waking up and I was floating in some sort of tank. Then, I was standing inside of a building and… you! You were there! That's all I remember."

   Bulma was speechless. Here in front of her lay Prince Vegeta himself, and he didn't even know who he was! Now what was she going to do with him?

   By now he was becoming more alert. He had sat up in the bed and was looking around the room in awe. Bulma sank down in to a chair. This was unbelievable! He must have hit his head or something when he crashed, and it wiped out his memory! Maybe this could be a good thing, he was harmless for now. He had no idea what he was capable of. The old Vegeta was gone. She could start over with him, maybe she could change him so that he was no longer a threat to humanity. Ideas kept popping up in Bulma's mind, there was so much to be done! But her thoughts were cut short when she heard the timer on her oven go off.

"I'll be right back!" 

Bulma ran to the kitchen to take the food from the oven. The smell of garlic, tomato and spices filled the air. Bulma hadn't realized just how hungry she was. After she set the dish on the counter she turned around to find Vegeta standing right behind her in a pair of loose white pajama pants that she had dressed him in when she brought him in her house.

"Here, sit down." 

Bulma motioned to a chair at the breakfast table. Vegeta took his seat and continued to observe his surroundings in complete silence.

"Dinner will be ready in a few minutes, are you hungry?"

Vegeta snapped out of his trance. "Yes."

   Bulma smiled and started to take plates and silverware out of the cabinets. 

Caesar had been napping on Bulma's bed upstairs but when he smelled the chicken and heard dishes rattling downstairs, he decided he should investigate and came lumbering into the kitchen. When he saw a new face sitting at the table he thought he would say hello.

   Vegeta didn't notice the animal approach him until Caesar laid his head in Vegeta's lap. The poor dog was startled when Vegeta jumped up.

   "What is that thing!?"

Bulma turned to see what cause the commotion. She tried not to laugh when she saw Vegeta and Caesar curiously staring at each other from opposite ends of the room. Bulma walked over to Caesar and bent down to kiss him on the muzzle.

"This is Caesar, he's my dog. Haven't you ever seen one before?"

Vegeta shook his head as he went to take his place back at the chair.

Bulma laughed. "Don't worry, he just wanted to say hello. Didn't you Caesar?"

   Bulma went back to preparing the food and Caesar, seeing that he wasn't going to get any, went back upstairs to sleep.

"Why don't we eat outside." Bulma said smiling "I think we could both use some fresh air."

Bulma took her things outside on the lanai and started to set two places for them on the table. When she walked back in to the kitchen she found Vegeta sitting in the same spot. She took two bottles of water from the refrigerator and handed them to him.

"Carry these for me please."

Bulma took the chicken outside to the table while Vegeta followed behind her. They sat down and Bulma served the food. She was surprised as she watched Vegeta pick up his napkin and place it in his lap. Throughout the whole meal he was a perfect gentleman though he didn't speak. Bulma was expecting to see him devour his food sloppily as she had seen Goku do many times before.

"That was good, thank you."

Bulma smiled at the complement and cleared the table. When she leaned over to get his plate she noticed him shiver. The sun was going down and with the breeze coming in off the ocean; the nights could get a little cool.

"You should come in, you'll get a chill."

   After the kitchen was cleaned up Bulma turned her attention back to Vegeta she noticed a few smudges of dirt on him. "You should probably have a bath, you haven't had one since you arrived. Follow me."

    Bulma turned on the faucets letting hot water flow into the deep tub. When she turned back around Vegeta was standing with his arms crossed over his chest completely naked.

"Well, you're definatly not shy are you? I guess I'll  leave you alone." She started to leave them stopped "You do know how to take a bath right?"

Vegeta scowled, but wasn't sure why. "Of course, I've had baths before." He just couldn't remember when.

Bulma shrugged and walked out, leaving Vegeta alone.

   She walked back outside and sat down. Vegeta was far from the barbarian that she expected; at some point in his life he had learned manners. But then he was a prince, being royalty she supposed that someone had taught him how to behave.

   But in the bathroom, when her scowled at her, it seemed so reminiscent of the Vegeta she knew. That characteristic, icy look of his. It scared her, when would his memory return to him? And what would he do when it did?

~* Well, what do you think? He's finally awake but has amnesia! Please overlook any typos in the story, I don't have a beta-reader yet so I don't always catch the mistakes. Anyway, let me know what you think! Thanks! *~


	6. Goodnight sweet prince

   Vegeta rested his head against the back of the tub. His whole body ached. The woman told him that he had been in a crash (that would explain the pain) he just wished that he could remember it. 

   As he sat there soaking, he began to examine his body. There seemed to be scars everywhere, some were fresh but he could tell that many had been there for years. 

   He closed his eyes and tried to think. Wasn't there something? How could his memory be so completely blank? 

   Ok, the woman said he crashed here on earth, was this his home? She also seemed to know him and he was brought to her by someone named Goku. The last thing he could remember was waking up inside of a tank filled with a purple liquid. A mask covered his nose and mouth giving him air to breathe. After that, everything was blank, until he found himself lying in a bed looking at that woman… Bulma.

   This was so frustrating! He had a past; he had a life but could remember nothing of it! But the woman… what did she know? Could she tell him who he was?

   His thoughts were becoming too much for him. Vegeta splashed his face with water and lifted himself from the tub.

   Bulma sat with her feet propped up on the table, watching the tide go out. Vegeta had been in there for a while and it was very quiet. She had to stop herself from getting up to check on him.

  "He is not a child, Bulma. He can bathe all by himself."

   She picked her book up and started to read when she heard Vegeta clear his throat to get her attention. She looked up to find the Prince standing in the doorway completely naked with water still dripping off of his body. She averted her eyes.

"You're not wearing any clothes!"

He didn't seem bothered by this and merely smirked at the woman's embarrassment. "I didn't have any to put on." 

"Oh, sorry." Bulma got up and walked by him quickly.

   She went to his bedroom and took a pair of gray pajama pants and a shirt from the closet. She had gone shopping a few days before and picked up a few items she knew he'd need when he woke up.

   Bulma kept her head turned when she walked back outside to hand him his clothes. 

"Here you go."

   Vegeta took the garments and put them on standing right there in front of her. He then walked over to the chair opposite her and sat down.

"Ok, woman. I'm dressed."

   Bulma chewed on her bottom lip nervously. What to say? She wasn't sure how to start a conversation with him. She was thankful when he spoke first.

"What can you tell me about myself?"

   Ok, so maybe she wasn't that thankful. How could she answer a question like that?

"Well, you name is Vegeta, you are a Sayajin. You are from a planet called Vegeta-sai."

He nodded his head. "That is my home then?"

"Yes, but it was destroyed many years ago."

Bulma shrank when she saw a flash of anger in his eyes

"By whom?"

Bulma lied. "I… I don't know."

   Vegeta lapsed into silence considering what she had told him. It was all so new. Why couldn't something be familiar?

"How is it that you know who I am?"

_Oh just great, what do I tell him? "Oh, we all met one day while you were trying to destroy us all." What have I gotten myself into?_

"Well… We met once before when you had come to earth to…"

"To what?"

"To visit Goku. He is a friend of yours. He's also a Sayajin. You and he were the only ones that weren't destroyed with the planet." _Please let him believe me, please!_

"Where is Goku now?"

"He left last week on a little trip. I don't know when he'll be back."

   Vegeta had now turned his attention to the ocean. The moon was shining and made the water seem like silver as it lapped gently against the shore.  Vegeta stood and started to walk down to the docks. After a few steps he stopped and turned to Bulma.

"Can I go down there?"

"Sure, I'll go with you."

   Bulma followed Vegeta down to the dock. Bulma sat with her feet dangling in the water, she watched while Vegeta stood staring at the boats that were secured for the night.

   His expression was blank. It was impossible to tell what he might have been thinking, no emotion showed on that stony face. He just kept watching them bob up and down with the water. Finally he broke the silence.

"I used to go sailing."

Bulma looked at him puzzled. "Really, when?"

He shook his head with exasperation. "I don't know, I just know that I did."

   Bulma's mouth formed the word "oh." But no sound came from her lips. She was beginning to pity him. He seemed so lost.

   He turned his head and looked directly into her eyes. His powerful gaze alone commanded attention and his words were barely audible.

"Bulma, I feel like I'm going mad, can you help me to remember?"

   What was she going to say? She wasn't sure what she could do for him. But those words spoke to her heart as they did earlier that day, "help me."

"Yes,Vegeta. I'll do the best I can."

   Still, his face betrayed no emotion as acknowledged her answer with a nod and turned to look back out at the sea.

   Bulma shivered as a breeze blew over her naked shoulders. She jumped when she felt a hand brush her arm.

"You're cold?"

"Yes, a little."

"Then we should go inside."

   Bulma stood and followed Vegeta back into the house. He paused when he walked into the den and stood staring at her couch. Did he remember something?

"Is something wrong Vegeta?"

He shook his head. "No… I'm just feeling a little tired."

Bulma took his arm and led him back to his room. "Come on, I'll show you to your bed." 

   After seeing that he was in his bed, Bulma turned to leave. "Goodnight."

   She didn't wait for a reply as she went to the front door and slipped on her house slippers. When she opened the door, Caesar came running behind her.

"You want to go with me? Well, come on."

   Bulma snapped his leash on him and walked across the compound to her parents' home. If Vegeta was going to be staying there it would be a good idea to let her mother know. She pushed open the door and let herself in.

"Mom, it's Bulma!"

   A tall blonde woman came bouncing down the stairs in a billowing pink robe and matching nightgown. 

"Oh, Bulma! Come on in dear I just made a pot of coffee."

"Mom, I don't know how you ever sleep after drinking all that caffeine."

Mrs. Briefs giggled as she walked into her kitchen. "Well if you don't want any coffee, at least come sit and talk with me."

Bulma sat down on a stool at the breakfast bar. Caesar took his place beside her. 

"OH! You brought Caesar to visit me!  I'm so glad you did, I just bought him some treats today while I was out." Mrs. Briefs took a little plastic bag from the cabinet and gave the dog his snack. "Yes, he's such a good boy! Yes you are such a good doggie!"

"Mom, you're going to spoil him." Bulma laughed as she watched her mother fuss over the dog. Caesar was enjoying every second of it.

"Yes well, I suppose I have to spoil the dog, seeing as how I have no grandchildren to spoil."

Bulma frowned at her Mother. "Mom, I don't want to hear that right now."

"Well dear, you're not getting any younger. And what about that nice young man your father brought home that time? He was a nero-surgeon you know."

"That's neurosurgeon mother. And that's not what I came to talk about. Please sit down."

Mrs. Briefs sat down and waited to hear what her daughter had to say.

"Mom, I'm going to be having a man staying over at my house for a while."

Mrs. Briefs started to grin broadly.

"No, mom. It's not like that, don't get any ideas. Goku brought him here last week. His ship crashed here on earth, he must have hit his head when he crashed because he now has amnesia."

Bulma's mother shrugged her shoulders. "Well if he's having trouble sleeping I have some pills that would…"

"No mom. That is **insomnia**. Vegeta has **amnesia,** he lost his memory. He's going to be staying here for a while. I'm going to try and help him."

"Well that's nice dear. I hope you're able to help the poor boy. What did you say his name was…Vegeta? I'm so proud of you doing this, you've always been such a sweet girl."

Bulma blushed. "Thanks Mom. I'm going to bed now, I'll see you later."  She kissed her mom goodnight and walked outside.

"Oh Bulma dear!"

Bulma turned around. "Yes?"

"Is he cute, because you know, you two could…"

"No Mother!!! Goodnight!"

   With that Bulma practically ran back to her house before her mother had a chance to make any more suggestions.

   Once inside, Bulma slipped her shoes off and let Caesar off of his leash. He ran upstairs toward her bedroom.

"Stay off of my bed dog if you want to live to see another day!"

   Bulma glanced in on Vegeta to find him sleeping soundly. He had taken off his shirt and kicked away the covers giving her a nice view of his chiseled body. She stood for a few moments admiring him.

_No Bulma! You're as bad as you're mother! Stop thinking like that. Just go to bed._

   After brushing her teeth, Bulma pushed the dog over and crawled into bed.

"Goodnight Caesar."

She feel asleep almost instantly. 


	7. A Day at the Beach

_Somewhere on a spaceship far out in the galaxy.___

Walking into the control room, Nappa knelt on one knee and put his fist over his heart in salute.

"My Lord, it seems that the traitor wasn't destroyed when his craft made impact on earth."

The creature kept his back turned. His shoulders shook as he chuckled.

"I didn't really expect him to, Nappa."

Nappa rose and approached his sovereign. 

"But my Lord, why do you want him to live? Will he not cause trouble for us?"

Cold purple eyes remained focus on the screen before him as he clenched his fists in anger. He hated to have his decisions and motives questioned.

"Why do you question me!? Do you not think that I know what I am doing? I took care of him before we sent him on his little flight. He is of no consequence to us! I want him to die with the rest of the Earthlings when the time comes."

"Forgive me my Lord."

The creature nodded. "Leave me"

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

   Bulma woke to the feeling of something heavy on her stomach. When she looked down there was a large white dog head laying across her middle. She scratched between his ears gently.

"You do know that I just washed these sheets?"

Caesar rolled over on his back and looked up at her.

"Yeah, that's what I thought."

   After chasing the dog out of her room Bulma got up and began to make the bed. When she finished her morning ritual she walked quietly past the closed door of Vegeta's room and downstairs.

   She fed the dog and toasted herself a bagel that she would eat outside while she planned her day. Bulma licked the last bit of cream cheese off of her fingers and picked up the notepad she had sitting on the table. She wanted to have some sort of plan, what was she supposed to do all day with a Sayajin?

   The cry of a seagull down by the dock inspired her. She could take him for a ride on the Jet Ski's out to the island!

   About two miles out in the bay was a small island owned by capsule corporation. The only structure on it was a little bungalow Bulma had built a few years ago. She used it when she needed to get away from her work. She could take Vegeta out there for the day. He did mention something the night before about sailing; maybe some time on the water could help his memory.

   Bulma got up to go inside. She wanted to pack the things she would need for a day on the water, and then make sure the watercrafts were running properly. She turned the corner then started upstairs to her room to get dressed. 

   A basic halter top bikini and a pair of water shorts would do, she always kept a few articles of clothing at the bungalow. Bulma began to remove her pajamas when she caught a glimpse of someone standing at her door. She shrieked and grabbed a pillow to cover her bare chest.

"Vegeta! You scared me!"

His face remained impassive. "I just wanted to know where you keep the food. I was hungry."

"I'll be down in a minute! Just go!" 

   Vegeta turned to leave. She grinned to himself as he walked back down the stairs and into the kitchen and sat down at the table. He hadn't meant to walk in on her like that but he didn't regret it, her body was certainly worth a look.

_Eh, good to know that is working. _ 

   Moments later Bulma came walking in, wearing a large t-shirt that covered most of her upper body. 

_A pity._Vegeta thought to himself.

  Bulma took a large black skillet and sat it on the eye of the stove. Soon, the smell of bacon and eggs filled the house with the unmistakable aroma of breakfast. A beeping from the oven timer signaled that the cinnamon rolls were done. After she iced them she filled her plate with a modest amount and gave the rest to Vegeta. She finished her food quickly and pushed her plate aside. Propping her elbows on the table she cleared her throat.

   Vegeta looked up from his food. Bulma spoke rapidly.

"I was thinking… today would be a nice day to spend some time on the beach. I think you might enjoy the water."

   "Sure." 

"Great then! After you finish and I clean up, we should be able to go in less than an hour. That should give your food time to settle. Oh by the way, I left you some cloths laying out on your bed."

   Bulma jumped up and went outside to prepare. Vegeta sat and finished his food; he didn't care to rush through a meal. When he finished he rinsed off both of their plates and put them in the machine as he had seen the woman do. He then went to his room to change clothes. Although he didn't show it he was rather excited. 

   Why was it, he wondered, that he felt that he should remain impassive? She had been very good to him… but, he would think about that later. For now, he was going to enjoy himself and hopefully revive some memories.

   Bulma flipped the switches causing the two wet bikes to be lowered into the water. They had both been fueled up and were totally ready for the day. She packed a few supplies in the front compartment and found an extra life jacket to fit Vegeta. It would be nice to have someone go with her for a change, someone that wasn't canine anyway.

   It had been a long time since Bulma had had anyone around. She had lived like a hermit for a while now, that was the reason her mother gave her a puppy two years ago. She though Bulma could use some company, so now she had Caesar. But dogs weren't very good at conversation, come to think of it, neither was Vegeta. It struck her as odd that she was about to spend a day at the beach with one of the most feared men in the galaxy. 

_But this isn't just for fun. _Bulma reminded herself. She was trying to do something that might help him recover his memory.

   "Vegeta, are you ready yet?!" Bulma yelled.

   She watched a the sayajin immerged from the house. He was wearing the swim short she had left out for him. His olive skin was beautiful in the sunlight. His muscular arms swung at his sides as he walked displaying a broad, hairless chest and perfectly cut abdomen. Even the numerous scars couldn't mar the beauty of his physique. Dear god, the man was exquisite!

"You're ready then?"

Bulma had to bring her mind back from the fantasy land it had wandered off to. 

_No! No, no, no, no! Not Vegeta, not him of all people. I'm only doing this to help him because…damn it I don't know why I'm doing it! He is evil, with a body like a… NO! Absolutely not! You know you can't…_

"Are you ok?"

"Uh, yes fine! I suppose it's just the heat. I'll be ok as soon as we get going."

Bulma took off the shirt she was wearing to reveal her swimsuit underneath. She turned away quickly before he had a chance to get a good look and climbed on one of the wet bikes. She tossed Vegeta a life jacket. He put it on and climbed on the other watercraft. 

"Just push the button like this."

Bulma touched the little button and the engine came to life. She pushed the throttle and moved a few feet out.

"Come on, try it!"

Vegeta did as she told him and they were soon racing side by side. Bulma turned sharply causing salt water to spray in his face. She was too busy laughing that she didn't notice him coming up beside her to do the same. 

"Come on!" Bulma pointed to an island in the distance. "That's where we're going. Let's race!"

Before she even finished her sentence Vegeta was already speeding toward the island.

_Oh no you don't.___

Even though he had a head start, Bulma had been racing in those waters for years. She easily overtook him and was standing on the shore waiting when he pulled up.

"Beat ya'!" She laughed.

Vegeta just glared at her making her giggle even more. This ease was something new to him. Although he couldn't remember he knew that a person would have never dared to laugh at him before. But this wasn't too bad, he liked the way she covered her face with one hand when she giggled like that.

"I'll go get some beach towels, we can sit out here and talk."

   Bulma turned and walked up the beach toward a little cabana in the center of the island. It wasn't very big, one bedroom, a bathroom, kitchen and living room. She always kept it stocked with a few essentials for when she came to stay out there for a little while. It was her little escape from the world.

   She came back out with two beach towels and a pad and pencil to take notes with. After spreading them out on the sand Bulma stretched out on her stomach and sat looking at Vegeta with pencil in hand.

"Ok, I want for us to talk and maybe we can come up with a few things that may help you."

He nodded.

"Now you've already told me the first thing you can remember, waking up in the healing chamber. Can you try and think back about when you crashed here? Close your eyes and imagine yourself in the cockpit of your ship."

Vegeta lay his head back and closed his eyes, he spoke out loud as he thought. 

"Ok, I'm piloting a spacecraft. In front of me is an instrument panel, there are controls all around me. I see the radar and the ignition switch,…"

Bulma took notes as he spoke. This was good! Vegeta was describing everything perfectly. He remembered what it looked like though he hadn't see one since his crash.

"Vegeta?" Bulma interrupted. "Can you place yourself in it; can you see yourself piloting the ship before you crashed?"

He thought for a moment. "No. I know everything about it, I just don't remember flying before."

She scribbled something else on the paper. "Ok, what do you know about fighting?"

He shook his head. "I don't know. I don't remember. Why would I know about fighting?"

Bulma sighed. She had never told him that he was a warrior, it was something she hadn't wanted to tell him about just yet.

"You were a warrior. Sayajins are the finest warriors, you especially are very powerful." _Great now how is he going to react?_

"I was a warrior? Then I should be training shouldn't I? that's what a good warrior would do."

_I think I may have created a monster. _"Yes, we'll have to see about that when we get home. Moving on. What do you know about your family? Can you remember anything about your mother or father?"

"My mother died when I was young, it was just my father and myself." Vegeta was shocked by his own words. Where did that come from?

Bulma too was taken aback. "She died, do you know how or when?"

"I don't know."

"What about your father? Do you know what happened to him?"

"I don't know." The questions were starting to get on his nerves. He wasn't sure why, but talking about his family was painful.

"Do you remember when the planet was destroyed? Can you remember what…"

"I DON'T KNOW!!! No more questions, please!" He stood up and walked away from her toward the cabana. He didn't mean to yell, it was just too much. He needed to get away.

   Bulma was shocked by his outburst. His temper could be frightening. She should have been more careful of what she said, her words had been too personal. 

_Give him a minute to cool off. Then go apologize to him._

She stood up and walked in his direction. Bulma found him sitting in the doorway.

"Vegeta." He wouldn't look up at her. "I'm sorry, I shouldn't have pushed you so much. I'll try to be more…"

"You don't know what it's like." He kept his head turned so she couldn't see his face. "There is something there, but I just can't quite reach it. It hurts, I just don't know why. There are so many things I find myself doing and thinking and I don't know why, It's driving me mad…"

There was a lump forming in his throat. He knew he needed to stop talking before his voice betrayed him. He got up and started walking, he didn't know where; he just needed time alone to think.

"Vegeta, wait." Bulma called after him.

He turned around to face her for just a second. "I'll be back."

   Once he was out of sight, Bulma slumped down on the porch steps. What had she gotten herself into? She was now the therapist for a Sayajin. A Sayajin with a very painful past. 

   It seemed odd to Bulma, not too long ago she was ready to slit his throat, now all she wanted was to end the emotional torture that he was going through. But she was no doctor, she didn't have the faintest clue as to how to help him. And the effort she just made seemed to hurt him even worse. If his memories were all so painful, it would be impossible to make him remember. He had probably blocked out a lot of them a long time ago. 

   Imagine that, all the time the mighty Prince Vegeta had been living with those emotions. It was hard for Bulma to imagine that murderer with any feelings whatsoever. But he wasn't a murderer to her anymore, he was something else… there was no evil in him, there couldn't be. He seemed so…good.

   And now, where was he? Somewhere out roaming the island, he did say he'd be back, question was, when? Why she was so concerned anyway, the island's not that big and Vegeta's a big boy. He could take care of himself.

_  Damn it Bulma, stop worrying! _

  She picked up her notepad and began to read.

   Sorry if the chapters haven't been that long. I'm working on it. I do appreciate the reviews, keep em' coming! If you were wondering when Bulma refers to the "wet bikes" she is talking about the Jet Ski's. "Wet bike" is a term we use around here. A girl sent me an e-mail offering to be my beta but when I tried to send her the chapter, It came back to me invalid address. So, I'm just going to go ahead and post this. Maybe I can get it all sorted out later.

 Let me know what you think. Until next time mes amies.


	8. Fly

   Two hours. Two hours and where the hell was he?!

_I could have walked around the island and back in half an hour. I hope nothing is wrong. Maybe I should go… No! Give him some space, when he's ready he'll come back._

   Bulma turned on the television and stretched out on the sofa. A news reporter came on the screen and began to give the details of the day so far. Bulma smiled when they gave the business report, Capsule Corporation stocks were at a record high. They had gone international just two years earlier and were now reaping the benefits.

   Not much was happening and Bulma soon grew bored with the news, she flipped through the channels before switching the TV off.

_500 channels and not a thing on!_

   She got up and walked back down to the beach. The towels were still where she left them so she lay down and rubbed sun block on her body.  It was mid afternoon, she would have to be careful not to stay out too long, her skin might burn in the harsh sunlight.

   Bulma opened her eyes, how long had she slept? It wasn't the first time she had fallen asleep on the beach. The warmth sun and gentle lapping of the water always made her very relaxed.

   The tide had reached its peak and would now start to go out. Magenta, purple and golden orange hues made up the colors of the sky. _Wow, it's sunset! I didn't mean to sleep that long._ Bulma rolled over lazily and bumped into something solid.

"You're back, I was worried."

He hadn't thought that his absence would have upset the woman. He noted that he must be more thoughtful in the future.

"I just went for a walk."

"Oh." 

"It is very beautiful here; it all seems very…familiar."

Bulma had to remind herself not to be too forceful; she didn't want to run him off again.

"Really? Do you mind telling me about it?"

   Vegeta leaned back and supported his weight on his elbows; he gazed off in the distance as he spoke. "I'm not sure, I just feel like I've done this before, not here but… somewhere else." He looked straight at Bulma. "Do you think maybe I used to do this sort off thing at my home?"

   "Maybe." She put her hand gently over his, half expecting him to pull away. "But we're going to figure this out. You will get your memory back."

   He swallowed hard and tried to catch his breath. She really cared, the woman sincerely wanted to help him. Such a thing was very foreign to him and he wasn't sure how to take it. It wasn't helping having her hand over his and the way she looked at him with those eyes, it took all he could do to keep from melting right there on the sand.

   Bulma moved her hand; she realized it was making him uncomfortable. Ha! He wasn't the only one, her heart was racing. 

"So, you hungry? There's some food inside." 

   She got up without a word and walked in, Vegeta followed behind. He was hungry, and he needed to do something to distract his mind.

"I'll have everything ready in about an hour, just sit down and relax."

  By the time she called him for dinner he was famished. Grilled fish, rice and steamed broccoli was just the thing. If the woman could do nothing else, she was an excellent cook. They sat down at the little table together, Bulma smiled when he began to eat with great relish.

"You like it?"

"Yes, what sort of fish is this?"

"It's called mahi-mahi."

   His mouth was too full of food to reply so he gave her a little smile. His whole face seemed to change when he did that. It wasn't that sinister smirk that Bulma knew well but a look of pure delight. Bulma took a sip of her water and finished her meal. 

It was getting late; they would need to get back home soon. 

   After Vegeta ate his fill she cleaned up the dishes and locked up the cabana. 

"Come on Vegeta, we should be going."

   They went back to the dock where the wet bikes were. Bulma tosses Vegeta his life jacket and put hers on. She climbed on and pressed the ignition switch. 

"Vegeta!" she called over the noise of the motor. "Be careful, the tide is low!"

   He nodded to her and they were soon on their way home. The sky was getting dark and storm clouds were starting to roll in. Bulma didn't want to be caught out in a storm so she pushed the machine to 80mph. The ocean spray stung her face and the wind whipped through her hair. Bulma didn't see the sand bar until it was too late. The front of the craft buried itself into the sand with a thud as Bulma went flying over the handlebars through the air. 

  Time seemed to slow down as she fell. She had been going so fast, the impact could seriously injure her; if she was knocked unconscious she could drown. She should have known better to do such a foolish thing. Bulma closed her eyes expecting her body to hit the water any moment but instead found herself cradled in a pair of strong arms.

"Are you ok?"

Her mind was still racing and her body trembled. That was too close.

"Yeah, just a little shaken up."

Bulma started to move when she notice that she was hovering 6 feet above the water. "Vegeta, you're flying!"

She watched him glance down at the water beneath them. He chuckled.

"I guess I am."

Bulma laughed. "This is great, you remembered you could fly! This is so cool!"

Vegeta's face became serious again. "That wasn't a very smart thing to do; you could have been hurt, or worse."

Bulma bit her lip. "I know, I just wanted to get in before the storm." 

   He flew back down to where the machine was stuck and place Bulma on it.

"Just be careful this time, ok?"

 They made it back home without anymore incidents. Bulma flushed the engines to get the salt water out then walked inside. The wind had started to pick up and the palm trees were bending to it. Vegeta had already gone inside was taking a bath. The man certainly enjoyed soaking in a tub. 

   She fed Caesar and walked upstairs to take a shower. She bathed quickly and went to find Vegeta. She wanted to know what happened back there.

   She found him sitting on her couch in a pair of pajama pants, watching television, Caesar sat beside him. Although it was a cute picture Bulma did not want dog hair all over her furniture, she snapped her fingers and Caesar reluctantly moved to the floor. Bulma took his place and picked up the remote.

"Vegeta?"

"Hmm?"

"Back there, when I was falling. How did you remember how to fly?"

He shook his head. "I don't know. I saw you falling and it just happened."

"Do you… do you think you could do it again?"

  He stood up and walked outside. Bulma grabbed a red windbreaker and followed him. _Great, he's going to leave again. But instead, he stopped and stood looking at her. He smiled and rose a few feet off the ground._

   Bulma laughed and clapped her hands like a child would. Just seeing him floating like that filled her with hope for his recovery. She could hardly contain her joy for him and began to talk excitedly.

"Vegeta, that's wonderful! Things are starting to come back to you. Just think, with more time and work maybe we could have you… and Goku! When Goku returns he could help you, maybe you could train with him. Oh Vegeta this is so…"

   Before Bulma could finish her sentence Vegeta had scooped her up and was flying out over the bay. Her fingers clung to his arms with a death grip, but still she laughed and shouted with pure delight. Vegeta fought unsuccessfully to hide a grin. 

"This is amazing!" She shouted over the wind and thunder.

   Bulma was thankful that she wore a jacket but she noticed that Vegeta didn't have a shirt on.

"Are you cold?" She rubbed her hand over his bicep. 

   Vegeta shook his head. Really, he was a little chilly but he wouldn't have said anything if he was freezing. The look on hr face was worth any minor discomfort on his part. He wrapped his arms totally around her so that she would come to no harm and pushed himself higher. Bulma buried her face in his chest, not from fear but because the temperature of the air at that altitude. Vegeta didn't dare to go any higher, he wasn't sure that her body could take it so he dropped back down.

   For a few moments he flew just inches above the ocean's surface. The water was churning and splashing beneath him but he held her so that she would stay dry. They flew for miles when he noticed that her body had relaxed against his. It made him very happy to know that she was that trusting in him. The woman caused so many feelings in him to stir about. He was sure that he had never felt that way about someone before. 

   The way her she rested her head on him and curled her body into his for warmth maddened him. He listened to the rhythm of her breathing and the beating of her heart, she had fallen asleep! He turned and headed back home. Within minutes he landed in her back yard.

   He crept in through the back porch and into the house. Caesar came running up to him wagging what little bit of tail he had. Vegeta whispered to the dog to be quiet, curiously he seemed to understand and went to lie down. 

   Once upstairs, he laid her on her bed. Not once did she stir when he pulled the blankets up over her shoulders. She was so beautiful in her sleep. Vegeta leaned in to kiss her cheek, praying that she wouldn't wake. 

   He went back to his own room reluctantly. He wished that he could be making his bed beside her but instead climbed into his own bed.

"What do you want?"

Caesar laid his head on the mattress and looked pitifully up at Vegeta.

"Come on."

Vegeta patted the bed inviting the dog up. Caesar crept up gently on the bed and lay at Vegeta's feet. 

Vegeta sighed. "Goodnight dog."

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 Ok chapter 8 is up. Now let's see some reviews!

I don't know how often I'm going to be able to update now. The holidays are here and I've got a lot of stuff going on. I am going to try and update twice a week at the least. But I promise I'm not going to let the story die. 

   Until next time, mes amies.


	9. Prince of Sayajins

   It was early morning. The moon had already faded, but the sun had yet to rise. Just a few of the brightest stars remained, struggling to be seen in the slowly brightening sky      

   Vegeta sat cross legged on the grassy hill just in back of the house. The water was calm and looked solid enough to walk on. His eyes were closed and hands folded neatly in his lap. For whatever reason that was unknown to him, he had gotten up from his bed just a few minutes before and come out here to meditate. 

   A breeze coming in off the water brushed over his skin, little chill bumps popped up on his arms. He opened his eyes. Sunrise was just minutes away; all that was visible in the sky now was the glowing speck that was the planet Venus. 

   Venus, the goddess of beauty and love; how did he know that? It was no use thinking about it, he wasn't in the frame of mind to remember anything. Except for last night, that was still very fresh in his mind. The way she clung to him and laughed, just knowing that he was able to make her that happy was amazing. The smile on her face seemed to drive all of his troubles away.

   He wanted her. No, he needed her. But what about her? He couldn't just claim her like she was just a piece of property. 

_Why not? You've done such things before._

   When? He couldn't remember it. Besides, she was a person. He wanted her to be happy; he could never force her into anything.

_You want her; she makes you happy. Why the hell does it matter what she wants?_

_No. You could never do something like that. It's wrong!_

   Frustrated, Vegeta flew off.

_**************************************************************************************_

   Bulma woke to the sound of the sea gulls squawking outside. She must have left her bedroom window open. Bulma stretched lazily and yawned. Light filtered through the window blinds, the digital clock read 6am. 

   Suddenly Bulma sat up in her bed. 

_How the hell did I get here?!_

   Her hands massaged her temples as she tried to think. The last thing she remembered was flying out over the bay with Vegeta. Had it all been a dream? Bulma looked down to see that she still wore the red jacket from the night before. No, it wasn't a dream but she still didn't remember coming to bed.

_Weird.___

   It took an effort to drag herself out of bed. Bulma was far from a morning person but still she managed to get up and find her way to the shower. The cool water helped to wake her and she was soon dressed and downstairs preparing breakfast.

   Vegeta wasn't anywhere to be found, he must have gone out earlier that morning. 

_Wonder where? _Bulma thought to herself as she coated a piece of bread in an egg mixture. She was in the mood for French toast that morning. Maybe Vegeta would be back soon to eat with her, she didn't feel like eating alone. She smiled to herself; if she knew him he wouldn't miss a meal. His appetite rivaled that of Goku. She would make enough for him, he would show up soon.

   The toast was finished and Bulma sat down to eat. Caesar came trotting into the kitchen and lay his head in her lap. Bulma got up to give him his dog food. When she sat back down he continued to stare at her until she gave in and let him have a bite of her breakfast.

"Now go eat your own food."

   Instead of going to his food bowl, Caesar ran to the front door and sat barking excitedly. Bulma got up to see what was up, she rounded the corner as her door opened.

"Goku, you're back!"

   Bulma threw her arms around his neck to greet her friend. She pulled him toward the kitchen with her.

"Come sit down. I've got so much to tell you! Are you hungry?"

  "No thanks, I ate earlier." 

   Bulma smiled as she watched him finish off the last of breakfast. She wondered how Chi-Chi managed to keep him in food.

Goku was a bit uncomfortable. He knew Vegeta had had plenty of time to recover and wasn't really looking forward to meeting him. He was Vegeta after all.

   "So, is he around?" Goku asked his voice barely audible.

"Well, he's not here right now, but I'm expecting him to be home soon…"

"How has he been?"

"Well, physically he's fine. His body seems to have recovered just fine.  For the past couple of days he's been staying here with me and..."

Goku's eyes nerly popped out of his head. "Here? With you?! How are you managing that!?"

Bulma laughed. "That's what I wanted to tell you about. Goku, he has lost his memory, he has no idea who he is or what he has done. I'm trying to help him recover his memory. We've made progress and I think that with more work he will be just fine. "

Goku smiled and put his hand over Bulma's. "I so glad you're helping him. I'm sorry for just dumping him on you like that though."

Bulma squeezed his hand. "It's ok. I think maybe it was a good thing that you did bring him to me."

   Goku and Bulma looked up when they heard someone enter the kitchen. 

   Vegeta stood in the doorway, he was sweaty and his hair was messy and windblown. His fists clenched as he felt a surge of jealousy when he saw a man talking and laughing with Bulma. He glared at the person seated across from her.

    Bulma quickly moved her hand away from Goku.

"Vegeta, you're back. You remember telling me you friend Goku?"

   His is anger subsided when he heard that name. The woman had told him that Goku was a friend of his and a fellow Sayajin. He certainly didn't remember him but would be friendly nonetheless. 

   He took a seat at the breakfast table and looked menacing, although he wasn't even trying.

"Good to see you my friend."

Bulma had to hold back her laughter when she saw the confused expression that came over Goku.

"Uh…yeah." 

She decided she should say something before Goku fainted.

"Goku, I was telling Vegeta a few days ago what good friends you two used to be."

   Goku looked at Bulma as if she had lost her mind and forced a smile at Vegeta. "Yeah, great friends."

Bulma cleared her throat "Goku, maybe you could get Vegeta started back training. It could be good for his memory."

Goku was beginning to relax. "Yes, that could be a good idea. You could build him a gravity room like you did for me."

"I hadn't though of that. I'll get started on a gravity room and you and Vegeta can train together."

Goku shook his head. "Uh Bulma, I'm only going to be here for a couple of days, then I've got to go back to train myself."

"Well, we can just make the best of the time we have."  Bulma decided to change the subject. "So, Goku how is Chi-Chi?"

Goku leapt up from his chair. "Oh Kami! I forgot, I was supposed to be back home by now, she's going to kill me! I'll see you later!" He yelled as he ran out the door and took to the air.

   "He's a little odd." Vegeta commented once Goku was gone.

Bulma got up and started to make more breakfast for Vegeta. "Yes, but he's really nice."

   Once Bulma had cleaned up her kitchen she went upstairs to put on her work clothes. She wanted to get started on the gravity room right away. Vegeta was in the shower, she knocked on the bathroom door.

"Vegeta! I'll be outside if you need me."

   She was glad that she wouldn't have to build a completely new one. The gravity room that she had first built for Goku to use was still in pretty good shape, she would just have to give it a little tune up. _Shouldn't take more than a couple days._

   It was still early morning but the heat was almost unbearable. Bulma stopped to wipe her greasy hands on her cut off jean shorts and pull her hair up out of her face. She glanced at her watch. _Wow, I've been working for almost two hours._

"Would you like some water?"

Bulma nearly jumped six feet.

"Please don't sneak up on me like that!"

Vegeta chuckled and handed her a glass of ice water. He sat down cross legged beside her.

"I wasn't sneaking; I just thought I'd bring you some water. How is it coming?"

"Eh, it seems to in good condition. It hasn't been used in about a year so I need to make a few adjustments and run some tests to make sure everything is running smoothly." Bulma sipped her water and handed it back to him. "You're going to love it, right now it can be set for up to 500 times the earths gravity. That should be enough to keep those muscles in shape." She made a fist and lightly punched him on the arm.

"Did you build all of this?" Vegeta motioned to the compound.

"Ha, not exactly. My father founded the Capsule Corporation. But I have built a lot of the stuff you see here."

"That is rather impressive."

"Thank you."  Bulma turned to find Vegeta staring at her. When he focused his gaze on her like that she felt like his prey. _Mmm, right now that might not be such a bad thing. _Hey eyes started to wander over him naked chest. _Why was it that he never seemed to be wearing a top? _

"You have grease on your nose."

"Huh, what? Oh!" Bulma wiped her face with a rag. "Better?"

"A little. You still look like you've been rolling in dirt." Vegeta said with a smirk.

Bulma tossed what was left of her water on him and smiled indignantly. "Now what smart guy?"

Seconds later Bulma found herself coughing and spitting up salt water while Vegeta hovered over her laughing. He had tossed her into the ocean before she even had time to realize what happened. 

"That's what!"

"Well it isn't fair, you can fly!"

Vegeta just laughed

"Ok fine, you win. Now get me out of here!"

Vegeta swooped down and picked her up. He sat her down on the grass to dry off.

"Next time you'll think twice before you challenge the Prince of Sayajins!"

Bulma jerked her head and stared at him. "What did you say?"

Vegeta shrugged his shoulders.

"You're remembering Vegeta! The 'Prince of Sayajins' you remembered!"

"No, you told me before that I was the Prince."

"Yes, but the way you said it! You used to do that I remember it when… well, never mind. The point is you remembered something!"

Bulma's thoughts were cut short when her pager went off.

"I'm surprised the water didn't destroy the poor thing." She cleaned the screen off so she could read the message.

"It's dad. Something's wrong." Bulma got up and ran into the house.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~`

Sorry, this chapter isn't very good but I'm having a block. Plus I've been very sick this week, today is the first day I've had the energy to drag myself out of bed.

   I'm not giving up though, the story will go on! (Eventually) 

Please review!


	10. How does your garden grow?

  An elevator door slid open and a tall purple reptilian creature entered the navigational chambers of his ship. A few members of the crew noticed his quiet entry and moved quickly to salute.

"Nappa!"

The Sayajin jumped at the sound of his name. He had been very engrossed in his work and didn't hear his leader enter. He turned and saluted.

"Yes My Lord?"

"When will we be arriving on earth?"

   Nappa turned back to the computer and pressed a few buttons.

"Approximately six weeks, possibly less if we have favorable weather."

   The purple creature said nothing. He turned on his heel and walked back into the elevator, the door sliding shut behind him. He pressed the button that would take him to the sixth floor of the ship, his private chambers.

   The color scheme of the room was entirely blue except for a large mahogany desk. Thick drapes covered the huge windows and the furniture was upholstered in soft rich fabrics. Yet for all of its comforts the chambers still seemed foreboding.

  Freiza sank down into a high-backed chair at his desk. Six weeks, that gave him plenty of time for planning. The purging of earth would be relatively simple. The planet was weak compared to many that had fallen before it. It shouldn't take long to finish it off. 

   He started to pour over the maps that littered the desktop; it was a pity that Vegeta wouldn't be joining them for this mission. He had had everything planned out; go in, destroy the population, maybe keep a few for slaves. Then sell the planet to the highest bidder. The whole thing was to have been led by Vegeta, his best man.

   A lavender fist came down on the desk.

_Ungrateful brat! Should have let him die with the rest of his people!_

   Freiza leaned back in his chair; he closed his eyes and rubbed the bridge of his nose. 

_No matter, I still have those who are loyal to me, the fools! And my dear Prince shall soon be no more._

Thin black lips formed into a sinister smile.

_~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~_

Bulma unlocked the door to her study and pressed a few buttons on a panel built into her desk. Seconds later the holographic image of Dr. Briefs appeared.

"What's up dad?"

"Bulma, you know there has been a bit of activity on the sun lately, solar flares and whatnot."

Bulma nodded. "Yes, what about them?"

"It seems that they are affecting our security satellites. With them down we aren't able to detect any foreign ships that might be flying in or around our planets airspace."

Bulma shrugged her shoulders. "So what dad, the flares will die down in about two weeks and the satellites will be back up. Don't tell me that is your big emergency?!"

Dr. Briefs blushed noticeably. "It isn't to me of course, but earths Security Council is not happy. I've got them breathing down my neck, they want something done now. And Bulma… do you know you're wet?"

Bulma rolled her eyes "Yes, I know, never mind that. Dad, they're just solar flares, it will be over in a couple weeks. Earth is not going to be attacked in that time frame. Do you want me to send a crew up there to fix them now?"

"Oh no, of course not. It's not worth the trouble and wouldn't do any good right now anyway. But I do need you to send me all of the paperwork and files on our security satellites. And if you don't mind, could you see what you could do to keep this from happening again?"

Bulma nodded. "I'll have copies of all the files there in about an hour and I'll see if I can come up with some sort of shields for the satellites. Just don't scare me like that again dad, I thought something was really wrong."

Mr. Briefs smiled sheepishly. "It won't happen again dear. It's just Capsule Corp. holds the contract with the worlds security bureau, I don't want to lose it. "

   Bulma looked up from her conversation to see Vegeta leaning against the doorframe. She held her hand up to let him know she would be through in a minute. Mr. Briefs noticed this and turned to see what Bulma had motioned to.

"Oh, you must be our Sayajin visitor! It's nice to see you doing so well."

  Before Vegeta had a chance to answer the image had turned and started speaking to Bulma.

"Well Bulma, I guess I'll be going. See you soon dear, I hope. And do put on some dry clothes, you're dripping all over the desk."

"Bye Dad." Bulma laughed and pressed a button and the image was gone.

   She got up and started upstairs to her room, Vegeta stopped her.

"What's wrong?"

Bulma sighed. "Nothing really, my dad was just exaggerating a bit. I've just got some work to do in the labs now; the gravity machine is going to have to wait a little while."

   Bulma changed into a dry, long-sleeved shirt and jeans. It was warm outside but the laboratories were always kept very cold to help keep them sterile. 

   After she threw her wet clothes in the laundry room she started outside, Vegeta was sitting on the couch with Caesar. She turned on the television and handed him the remote.

 "I guess you can just hang out around here. There's plenty of food in the kitchen if you get hungry." She pulled a small communication device from her pocket. "You can use this to call me; I'll be in Lab no.6 if you need anything. Here, I'll show you how to use the…"

 Vegeta took the device from her hand. "I can take care of myself."

"Ok, I'll see you later then."

   Bulma walked outside and followed the path that led to Lab no. 6. On the way she passed by the gravity room. _Damn, I really wanted to get that fixed. _

"I know!"

   She walked over to another of the lab buildings and knocked on the door. A handsome, sandy haired man in his late thirties answered. He was wiping his hands on his lab coat when he realized it was Bulma.

"Hey! Haven't seen you in a while, what brings you here Miss Briefs?"

Bulma smiled at her friend, she had known him for years. "Hey Shawn, how's the family?"

He started digging in his pockets for his wallet and pulled out a small picture and thrust it toward Bulma proudly. 

"Check it out, my little girl just lost her first tooth."

Bulma laughed at the picture of little girl with blonde locks and a snaggletooth smile. She handed it back to him.

 "Shawn, are you very busy?"

He put the picture away and leaned against the wall. "Not very, what do you need?"

Bulma took his arm and pulled him over to the gravity room. "Could you get this thing running for me? It's in good shape, just needs a little tune up. I'd like to have it running smoothly at 500 times earth's gravity."

Shawn scratched his head and laughed. "Just what are you going to do with a gravity machine that powerful?"

Bulma pushed her sleeves up; she was starting to get hot. "I'm going to use it to punish our insubordinate employees. Can you do it?"

"As long as you promise not to crush me in it."

"You've got a deal. Thanks Shawn."

   Feeling very proud of herself, Bulma left Shawn to work and made her way over to Lab No. 6. Once inside, she slipped on her white lab coat and sat down at a computer. She would send her father the files on the satellites then she would start designing the solar shields. Once she had a design she could work with the rest of the CC employees to start building.

   It had been a while since she had had a project to work on, she was happy to be working. 

Though she was a little disappointed that she wouldn't be able to spend time with Vegeta. 

She had grown fond of his company.

   Bulma brought her thoughts back to her work. She would have to worry about the Sayajin later.

*****************************************************************************************

*Mostly sunny with highs in the 90's. Evening thunder showers are expected… Hurry! This Tuesday only, 40% off everything

in the store… After the break, we will hear the emotional story of this woman and her… Satan City Daemons pulled off yet

another win…*

   Vegeta switched off the television. He let out a long breath and tossed the remote on the coffee table. What to do? He had

the feeling that he should be doing something.

   Placing his hands on his knees, Vegeta hefted himself up from the sofa. It occurred to him as his eyes wondered about the 

room that he hadn't even seen all of the house, much less the compound. If he was going to be living there he wanted be 

familiar with everything there.

   With a glance over his shoulder at the bulldog sleeping belly-up on the sofa, he slipped out the back door. There wasn't 

much to see in the back yard, once you stepped out of the porch you were on a grassy hill that led down to the beach and the 

docks. It was definitely a great view of the bay though, the Satan City skyline was visible on the western horizon and he could 

also see the small speck in the water that was the island they visited the day before.

   He decided to walk around the rest of the compound. In one area, he found a sign reading **Sector 3. Large dome shaped**

buildings were lined up in rows. Each had a sign at the entrance just beneath a keypad. He walked along the rows until he

came to one labeled Lab No. 6. 

_Must be the lab she is working in._

   Vegeta fought the urge to knock on the door. He was curious to see what she was doing but didn't want to disturb her

work. He turned and walked back to where he had found her earlier at the gravity room. He wanted to take a look at the

machine. Once he was closer to the building he could hear the sounds of someone working in it. He smiled.

_Maybe she got a chance to work on the machine._

  He knocked loudly on the door expecting Bulma to emerge. Instead, a tall blonde man popped out wiping his greasy hands

on a rag. He eyed Vegeta curiously.

"Can I help you?"

Vegeta was a little baffled and took a moment to answer. "I was looking for Bulma."

  The man smiled and ran a hand through his curly yellow hair. Bulma was like a little sister to him, he had known her since she

was a little girl when he first started working at Capsule Corp. It had been years since he had seen Bulma dating anyone, it

would be nice to see her with someone. 

"Oh, sure. She just asked me to take a look at the gravity machine for her.  I believe she's working in lab No. 6. You know, 

Bulma's a really great girl. I've known her for years, she really amazing."

   Vegeta felt the sudden urge to beat the man before him into a bloody pulp. Why did he know her so well and just who the 

hell was he anyway?

  Instead Vegeta mumbled something and ran back towards the lab where she was working. The door was sealed, he 

Pounded on it with his right hand, his left was planted on his hip. He heard the sound of the bolts sliding as the door opened.

"Vegeta?"

"Who is that person you have working on the gravity machine?"

Bulma was taken aback by his harsh tone. "That's Shawn. I asked him to repair it since I knew I wouldn't have time. Why do 

Ask?"

He found himself at a loss for words and began to stutter. "I… I just… Just how long have you known him anyway, I'm not

sure I would trust him."

Bulma covered her mouth to suppress a giggle. "Vegeta, I've known him since I was…" She stopped for a moment to do the

math in her head. …Since I was eleven. I was a bridesmaid at his

Wedding. I've even baby sat for his daughter."

Vegeta found himself feeling a little sheepish. "His daughter?"

"Yes, his daughter. And I'm very good friends with his wife."

Vegeta coughed. "Well, you can't be too careful."

Bulma shook her head as she watched him walk off. _What in the world got into him?_

   _Idiot, idiot, idiot! What the hell were you doing? A guy says a few nice things about the woman and you go through the roof! What do I have to be jealous about anyway?_

   Once he was a safe distance from both Bulma and Shawn he stole a quick glance over his shoulder towards the labs. He really didn't care about Blondie, but he wondered what the woman thought. He made a fool of himself.

   His thoughts were interrupted when he heard the sound of pottery shattering on the ground. It sounded like it came from one of the greenhouses. He ran over to the building and opened the heavy glass door.

   The heavy perfume of flowers hit him when he walked in. The whole building was filled with orchids of every imaginable sort. 

He loosed his grip on the door and let it close itself. Almost unconsciously, he started to walk over to one of the tables that held the precious flowers. He stretched out his hand and let his fingers trace the petals.

~~~~~~~~~~_Flashback_

_ "Vegeta, be careful. You could bruise the petals." A tall, slender woman reached down to scoop up her son and carry him on her hip. "I had these imported from earth; they seem to be doing very well in our planets climate."  The boy nodded his head but continued to stare at the flower over his mothers shoulder as she walked away. _

_   He could hear the sound of her robe swishing as she walked. "Come on Vegeta, it's almost time for your training." _

_********************************************************************************************_

I am so so so very sorry for the delay. To be honest, I'm still a little stuck on the story but I'll get through it. Plus school (and life in general) has been absolute hell lately. 

  I do plan on putting up the illustrations I have for this story very soon. I just need to get them all scanned into the computer then I'll put up the link so you all can have a few visuals.

   I'm just hoping I still have readers out there! If you guys haven't left me yet, **please review!**


	11. Chocolate and blood

"Vegeta, Vegeta… Vegeta, are you ok?"

   Someone was calling his name but his vision was so blurred he couldn't see a thing. He could also hear someone's ragged breathing and painful moans. It to a minute for his mind to register that it was him.

   His head felt like it was going to explode but his vision was coming back and he felt a hand on his cheek.

   He glanced up to see to whom the hand belonged to. A tall woman was kneeling by his side; her curly blonde hair was brushed back from her forehead where a pair of glasses were perched. 

"Are you ok Vegeta?"

   Her brow was creased with concern and there were slight wrinkles at the corners of her gray eyes. She looked somehow familiar…

"How do you know my name?"

"Oh, Bulma told me about you. I'm her mother."

   Vegeta looked at her again. Yes, that was the reason for familiarity; she looked like Bulma, or more accurately, Bulma looked like her.

   He winced when he sat up but the pain seemed to be leaving him very quickly, strange…

"Maybe I should get you inside to rest."

"No, I'll be fine…"

"Oh no, I insist. Let me call someone to help you…"

"No I can walk." He stood up a little too quickly and felt dizzy.

Mrs. Briefs just shrugged her shoulders and took him by the arm. "Come with me then, let's get you out of this heat."

 "Really, I'm ok. I'll just go back over to the house and…"

Mrs. Briefs shook her head adamantly and pulled him along through the door of the greenhouse. "You need to rest for a little while, and I don't want you over there alone. You still look a little peeked."

"I can just lie down on my own bed, you shouldn't worry."

"Absolutely not!" She stamped her foot lightly on the flagstones leading to her home. as she pushed open the door of her home. "I'll bet you haven't even had anything to eat today."

   Vegeta was about to protest but decided it was useless. The woman wouldn't take no for an answer.

   Once Bulma's mother had sat him down on the couch and was confident that he wasn't going anywhere she hurried off to the kitchen. This gave Vegeta a moment to take in his surroundings.

   The house was very bright and open with its white stone walls and skylights. It had a very feminine feel as well with fluffy pink pillows and billowing drapes. But it was a bit too much for his taste, and the excess of air freshener was very harsh to his Sayajin senses. He started to think about making a run for the door but Mrs. Briefs walked back in before he had a chance to put his plan into action. _Damn it!_

"Come on into the kitchen, you must be hungry. Maybe we can find something for you to eat!"

Truth be told, he was hungry but wasn't sure he wanted to endure that woman's company just for a snack.

"I'm not very hungry…"

"Really? Well you should have something. Here, you simply must try this for me!" She set a small dessert plate down in front of him and turned to get something on the counter. While her back was turned he picked up the china to look at the pattern on it. 

_Flowers, pink flowers.__ Figures…_

"Here you go! Chocolate surprise, it's a new recipe I got from a friend. I guess you get to be my guinea pig!" 

   She gave a little giggle as she sat down opposite Vegeta. He wasn't sure what 'guinea pig' meant but it didn't sound very pleasant.

"Go ahead, try it!"

   He poked at the brown glob with his fork before placing a bite in his mouth. Mrs. Briefs sat and watched him waiting for an opinion. Vegeta forced a smile at Mrs. Briefs as he began to chew. She seemed pleased with his reaction and started to babble.

 "Margie, she's an old friend of mine you know, she gave me the recipe. Says her husband loves it, I'll have to make some for my hubby when he gets home…"

Vegeta nodded his head politely as she went on with her story but he didn't hear a word. He was still working on that first bite of 'chocolate surprise' and it seemed to be getting bigger as he chewed.

"…Anyway, she has just got the sweetest grandchildren. Six of them! All girls! Can you imagine? It must be wonderful. Of course I have none. My little Bulma is the only child we ever had. I just wish some nice man would come along for her, she's a great girl, don't you think?"

"Mmhm." His teeth were now stuck together and all he could manage was a mumble.

"Yes, It seems like just yesterday she just learned to walk and now look at her, she's a grown woman. And you know, I try to tell her she's not getting any younger…"

Ok, this food had now grown to ten times it's original size, he had to get out of there!

"…and I said Margie honey, really its fine! Orange is the new black!" She stopped. "Oh, Vegeta can I get you anything to drink?"

"Mmhmm."

_Great, now's the chance!_

A large green houseplant of some sort sat beside him; while her back was turned he quickly scraped the remainder of his "food" into the pot and swallowed his mouthful with a gulp.

"Wow, done already! Would you care for some mo…?"

"NO…er, no thank you, I need to be going."

"Are you sure you'll be ok?"

"Yes fine." He had his hand on the door.

"Well if you need anything don't hesitate to call."

"Thanks."

   And he was out the door, across the yard and in the sanctuary of Bulma's house in ten seconds flat. He would make it a point to avoid that woman and her cooking in the future.

   He made his way into the kitchen for a drink. He opened the door of the refrigerator and stood contemplating for a few seconds before reaching for a bottle of water.

   Taking a long draught of the water he wandered into the living room. The bookshelf in the corner caught his attention, it was stuffed with various books; paperback novels, scientific journals, manuals for different sorts of machines all in no particular order. As he reached for a book he knocked a picture to the floor.

"Shit!"

   He bent down to pick it up. The glass of the frame had broken but the picture was saved. He pulled the 5x7 photograph from the fragments of glass, an image of a younger Bulma smiled back at him. He had to laugh, she was wearing a tacky pink taffeta ball gown and her hair was a big blue poof on the top of her head. Mrs. Briefs and a man that he assumed was Mr. Briefs stood beside her smiling. He would have to ask her about the picture later…

"Damn it!" 

   A piece of glass had stuck in his  left palm, he went to his bathroom and flicked on the light so that he could see better. It was stuck deep and he cursed himself for not being more careful. He took a deep breath and held it as he pulled the glass from his hand and let it drop in the sink.

   Blood began to pour from the wound even faster. Both of his hands were now stained red with blood, he had become transfixed with the image and was unable to look away. Blood on his hands, crimson flowing against his olive skin as his vision started to bl_ur…_

_~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~_

_   He stood looking out over a wasteland. The sky was the color of rust and so it seemed with everything around him. Dust and rubble all around, but this had been something once, yes he could see it! It had been a city just hours before…before what? _

_   A wind that would have ordinarily been pleasant stirred up the hot ash that covered the ground and blew it into his face. He couldn't breathe and the dying embers stung his eyes. He heard someone coughing. Hacking violently  to clear the putrid air from their lungs. But no one else was there._

_  Or maybe it was him? Yes, it was him. He felt like he was staring out through someone else's eyes at this, like he was somehow removed from it all yet it was still all too real._

_   More images came, different landscapes but all the same; the same destruction, the same carnage. The visions flashed through his mind at lightening speeds. But he saw each one clearly, he felt the heat and the smoke and the ash.   The skies were all the same disgusting corroded color._

_   He just wanted to close his eyes and block it all out but it wouldn't go away. He brought his hands to his face, trying to make it stop. He felt his legs give way and his knees hit the ground. Something liquid and warm flowed over his face. He moved his hands and stared down at the blood covering them._

_  "Vegeta."_

_ Who was that? He couldn't see anyone, his vision was clouded with a lavender haze and he felt strangely cold._

_Laughter.__  But who was it? The voice was delicate yet piercing, female perhaps? No, not quite…_

_"Well done young one."_

_~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~_

   Vegeta opened his eyes slowly then squinted. The bright lights over the bathroom mirror were glaring right in his face and his right cheek was pressed against the cool marble. What time was it?

   He pressed his palms into the floor and pushed himself up. A set of small brown eyes met his own as a pink tongue left a trail of slobber across his face. 

"Thanks a lot." 

   He grumbled to the beast of a dog that sat back on his haunches as Vegeta turned on the sink faucet. Cold water ran from the tap and he cupped his hands beneath the flow to wash his face. The water stung the still fresh wound on his hand that he had almost forgotten about. 

   Seeing the gash in his flesh caused his temper to rise. What in the hell was wrong with him? Waking up on a strange planet in the home of a beautiful woman, her psychotic mother and salivating dog.

   He might as well have been born on that day they found him; it was the beginning of all his memory! And now he was seeing things. Was it his past? Maybe just tricks his mind was playing on him. Would he ever know? Shit. He was bleeding again.

   A quick search of the bathroom cabinets and he had bandages for his hand. Having that taken care of made him feel a little better but he was still aggravated with himself.

   Caesar followed him back into the living room and lay down while he paced the floor ranting, gesturing with his hands as he spoke.

"Am I going insane? Am I already insane?" He laughed ironically. "I must be; I'm talking to a dog." 

Caesar rolled over on his back and stared up at him.

   Vegeta sighed deeply and sank down into a chair, resting his elbows on his knees and cradling his head in his right hand. 

He closed his eyes and tried to focus on the visions he had seen earlier. As a few images came to him he felt a sharp pain in his head that seemed to travel down his spine.

   He gasped and the pain left just as quickly as it came.

_Wonderful, I suppose I'm just not meant to remember anything._

   He picked up a leather-bound book that was sitting on the coffee table. He could read a book, maybe no harm would come from that…

*****************************************************************************************

Voila! 

Not very in-depth. No great revelations. Basically, a very vague chapter. I know, but it's going to have to move slowly for a while. But not to worry, I shall punish myself accordingly for this insolence. *bangs head against a wall a la Dobby*

   Just think of it as 'Building Suspense' (or for short we could just say "B.S.") 

  Thing should pick up soon, I'm still working some kinks out. But I promise you we should soon see at least a few cool revelations, the gravity room will be up and running, and Bulma and Vegeta will get some;) 

Oh! And I can tell you that I'm working on a chapter that will give a glimpse into the psyche of Freiza. 

   But for now my friends I bid you adieu.

Postscript: I almost forgot to thank my beta, Saxonie. Many, many thanks!


	12. Breathe

   Bulma was so engrossed in her work that she didn't hear the air lock on the door release.

"You're still working?"

 She jumped from her swivel chair in a less than graceful manner.

"Shawn!" She let out a long breath. "You startled me."

   She put her hand on the chair to stop it from spinning and waited for Shawn to speak.

"I just stopped by to let you know I'm done for the night."

"Night?" Bulma looked at her left wrist to find that she had forgotten to wear her watch. "What time is it?"

He laughed. "A quarter til' six."

 Her mind drifted to Vegeta. For hours she had been in here working, what was he up to? She turned started to close the program and shut down her computer. 

"I didn't realize it was that late."

 Bulma slipped of her white lab coat and hung it on a peg as her fingers flew over the keypad at the door. The airlock released and walked outside with Shawn.

"I'm almost done with the gravity room. I'll be here early to make a few more adjustments tomorrow and it should be up and running."

"Thanks buddy, I appreciate it. I'll see you tomorrow then."

 She turned to walk home.

"Oh, Hey Bulma?"

"Hmm?"

"It's none of my business but, who was that guy I met earlier around the gravity room? The one with that crazy hair."

"Him? He's just a friend that will be living with me for a while."

Before she even finished her sentenced, Bulma winced. It occurred to her what that sounded like. Shawn raised an eyebrow and smirked at her.

"Get your mind out of the gutter. He's just a friend!"

 He shrugged his shoulders but continued to grin. 

"If you say so. But it wouldn't be so bad if it was more than "friendship" would it?"

"Please, I get enough of that from my mother."

"Maybe not enough."

"Shawn." Bulma said with a hint of warning in her voice.

"You know what I mean. It's been ages since you've been with anyone. You've made work your whole life."

"Not true. I have my dog."

   Shawn threw up his hands in defeat and laughed.

"All right, if you say so." He looked at his watch. "I've got to run; the wife wasn't expecting me to be this late."

"Bye, Shawn. Tell her I said hi!"

   He acknowledged her with a wave of his hand as he walked to his car. Bulma watched him drive off before she headed home. She put her hands in her jeans pockets and walked slowly along the path grinning to herself. 

  He was right; it wouldn't be a bad thing. If fact it could be very nice. It had been ages since she had had a serious relationship. Come to think of it when was the last time she had one at all?  Hmm. high school maybe?

  But she had Capsule Corporation, when her father retired in a few years it would be all hers. Making her one of the richest women in the world. She loved her work, always had.

   Although she had to admit to feeling the tiniest bit of jealousy when she saw Chi-Chi and Goku together. They seemed so happy.

_And I just have a dog. Pretty pathetic, Bulma._

 She stopped and stood at her doorstep. There was no denying it; she was very attracted to him and he was rather pleasant company, talking to a dog all the time got old. 

   Out of habit, she began to gnaw at her fingernails.  
  But what if his memory returned? Of course she wanted him to remember who he was, he seemed so lost. But over the past few days **she** had forgotten. He was a somewhat nice guy when he wasn't destroying civilization. 

  Maybe he could change. Just look at Goku, he had been sent here to destroy earth when he lost his memory and now he was a big teddy bear. Of course, Goku had been a child; his past wasn't drenched in blood.

_Just quit thinking about it. You can worry later!_

Bulma shuddered and pushed open the door. She walked quietly so as not to disturb Vegeta. She did not realize that he had sensed her presence standing on the doorstep. As she rounded the corner of the foyer and went into the den, all thoughts of doom vanished.

  There on her sofa sat Vegeta. A book was propped open in one hand while the other was absentmindedly rubbing Caesar's ears. All that was missing was a smoking jacket and pipe.

 Bulma laughed and plopped down beside him after shooing Caesar down from the sofa.

"Hi! Whatcha reading?" 

  Holding his place with his thumb Vegeta flipped to the front cover.

"A Farewell to Arms."

   Bulma laughed at the irony of it. She knew the book well but it was laughable, of all things for Vegeta to read!

"What's so funny?"

"Oh nothing. Do you like it so far?"

  Casually he marked his place with a scrap of paper and set it on the table. Two of the buttons at the collar of his shirt had come undone; she let her eyes wander over the bit of olive skin showing at his throat. Following his collarbone up she gazed at the scar along his jaw.

"Yes. Very tragic."

  Bulma cleared her throat uncomfortably when she realized she was staring at him with her mouth slightly agape. Finally she broke the gaze and started playing with her hands in her lap. When she did look up he was watching something out the window. It was then that she noticed the bandage on his hand.

 "Oh, Vegeta what happened to your hand?"

"It's just a little cut." 

He picked up the fragments of the picture frame and showed them to her.

"I knocked it over earlier and cut myself on the glass."

"I'll have to find some ointment for you to put on it."

"No, it's ok."

She moved to get up, Vegeta put out a hand to stop her.

"Later. It'll be fine, just sit down."

   Bulma complied and sank back down into the cushions. She laid her head back and rubbed her eyes.

"You know what? I haven't eaten a thing since this morning. What about you?"

   Vegeta shook his head no. He didn't want to bring up his visit with her mother.

"I think I'll order a pizza. Let me just find the phone book."

   Two hours later the only thing left of the pizza was two empty boxes. Bulma had changed into her pajamas and was on her fourth beer. 

   After Vegeta terrified the poor delivery boy and learned how to eat pizza without burning himself with hot cheese he seemed to enjoy his first experience with takeout food

 "So, what else did you do today besides read?"

  Vegeta drank deeply from the amber bottle and shrugged his shoulders. 

"Nothing."

  Bulma jabbed him lightly with her elbow and giggled.

"Oh come on, you must have done something."

"I did go for a walk." 

"Oh, so that's how you came to meet Shawn."

"Who?"

"Shawn, the guy working on the gravity machine. He'll finish up with it tomorrow so you can probably try it out.  Training should keep you busy."

"Did you fix that problem for your father?"

     Bulma nodded as she got up to put away the empty pizza boxes. She yelled from the kitchen.

"I think so. There isn't much I can do now but wait for it to pass but afterwards."

    She sat down on the sofa and handed him another beer.

"Afterwards we can send a crew up there to install shields to keep this from happening again."

   Vegeta watched her as she talked on of her work. She moved her hands about, gesturing as she spoke, her words a little slurred. Her blue eyes seemed iridescent, sparkling there behind a veil of lashes. Her face was a little flushed from the alcohol but, all the better, she seemed to glow. 

_That's it, I'm drunk._

 ". Dad and I worked together on those satellites. I can't believe we overlooked something like that."

   Vegeta drained the last bit of liquid from the bottle and put it down. Making a mental note that he had enough for one night.

"How did you come to be in charge of all of this? With your father gone you seem to be running the corporation."

 She ran a hand through her hair and tucked her feet beneath her, unconsciously leaning closer to him.

"I've worked with my dad since I was a kid. I guess I was some kind of prodigy.  When I was three I was programming computers. Building robots, stuff like that"

She paused to see that he was following her.

"Then when I got older my parents hired tutors for me, I never went to school. Just sort of learned on my own, you know? So, here I am now."

  Bulma stood up quickly but lost her balance. She landed right in Vegeta's lap.

"Oops! Sorry, lost my footing there."

   After a long awkward moment, she moved to get up; Vegeta reluctantly picked her up by the waist and set her on the couch beside him.

"Why don't you just sit down?" 

   Bulma nodded her head. The buzz was wearing off and she was feeling pleasantly sleepy. She started digging under the cushions.

"Where's the remote?"

    Vegeta pulled it out from under the cushion where he was sitting.

"You mean this?"

 "Yes."

She reached out to take it from his hand but he snatched it back with a smirk. Bulma crossed her arms and pouted playfully.

"Are you going to give it to me?"

"If I don't, what are you going to do about it?"

"I'll just have to take it from you."

"Oh really?" He was having fun now

"Yes, really."

  With that she jumped at him but he didn't even budge. Laughing, she fought to get it but he caught both of her hands in his and held her down.

   She fought to free herself but it was like trying to move a brick wall. 

"Calm down. I could just toss you in the ocean again."

"You wouldn't dare."

 Faster than she could think he dropped the remote, had scooped her up and was hovering over the sea laughing. She was clinging to him; the breeze blew her hair. Little wisps of it came loose from her ponytail and brushed across his face.

"Don't you dare drop me you. you brute!" She fought back her laughter.

"That's not very nice."

"Well, you're the one that started it!"

Vegeta smiled and let her slip a little in his arms, she squealed.

"Ok, ok! You win, just don't drop me!"

   Almost instantly he had her back inside sitting on the couch.

"Oh don't look so smug. You beat someone half your size, are you proud of yourself?"

"Yes, actually."

 "Well, now can I have the remote please?"

  He picked it up from where he dropped it and handed it to her. Once she had it in her hand a pillow hit him in the head.

"There! Now let's all play nice."

  Bulma yawned and curled up with a pillow to flip through the channels. She glanced over at him, light from the television cast shadows over his face. 

  He was a little cocky at times; perhaps he was arrogant, but not malicious. Vegeta didn't seem even the least bit evil.

Maybe there was nothing to worry about. Bulma bit her lip.

_One can only hope._

_~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~_

   Vegeta opened his eyes and blinked, letting them adjust to the dark. He was lying on the couch. His eyes focused on the hands of the clock on the wall.

_2:00 Am__. I must have fallen asleep._

  He started to get up and felt a weight on his chest. 

_Bulma.___

  He lay back down. 

 Gently, he pushed back the bit of hair that had fallen in her face. Her lips were parted slightly in her sleep and he could feel her breath on his skin.

   Vegeta tried to stay awake, watching her. But soon, his body gave in to sleep.

_********************************************************************************_

Chapter 12 yay! 

   It's not much but I'm proud of myself. So sorry that I've taken this long with it but my mind has been in a muddle. I can't seem to make myself focus on one thing for long. Hopefully, you all are still reading, if so, thanks!

   Please review! Hope you like it!** (;** And if you don't, review anyways. Tell me why I suck** ;) **


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